Growth of aortic vascular smooth muscle cells in lowered oxygen tension

Primary cultured of vascular smooth muscle cells, isolated from rat aorta, were grown under normoxic (20% O(2)) and mildly hypoxic (5% O(2)) conditions. Cells from both conditions were compared for growth characteristics, morphology, protein synthesis, lysosomal enzyme activity, and oxygen consumption. In no case was a consistently significant difference observed. These observations indicate that these cells can adapt or are adapted to mildly hypoxic conditions. Moreover, these results may indicate that the culture of vascular smooth muscle cells in mild hypoxia represents a closer approximation of in vivo growth conditions for these cells.